A concerned citizen who reported a child left in a car at a local retail store quite possibly kept a tragedy from happening.

An Aug. 22 incident report from Gray Police Officer Jacob Hunnicutt stated that he was dispatched to the store in reference to a child who was left unattended in a vehicle. He said, when he arrived, he made contact with GPD Lt. Eric Maynard and the offender, Mark Timothy James.

Following the officer’s investigation of the incident, James, 48, was arrested and charged with cruelty to children, first degree.

At the scene, Maynard informed the officer that the child was inside the store with GPD Officer Monica Senn. The lieutenant also told Hunnicutt that, when he got to the store, the offender’s vehicle was not running and the child inside was dripping with sweat.

The officer said the excuse given by James was that the child had spilled a drink on himself.

“The offender stated he was only in the store for five minutes, and he did not see anything wrong with leaving the child for a short period of time,” the report stated.